The Unbelief of Jesus’ Brothers

7

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him.2Now the Jewish festival of Booths was near.3So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing;4for no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.”5(For not even his brothers believed in him.)6Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil.8Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my time has not yet fully come.”9After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

Jesus at the Festival of Booths

10 But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret.11The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, “Where is he?”12And there was considerable complaining about him among the crowds. While some were saying, “He is a good man,” others were saying, “No, he is deceiving the
crowd.”13Yet no one would speak openly about him for fear of the Jews.

14 About the middle of the festival Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach.15The Jews were astonished at it, saying, “How does this man have such learning, when he has never been taught?”16Then Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine but his who sent me.17Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own.18Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him.

19 “Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you looking for an opportunity to kill me?”20The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is trying to kill you?”21Jesus answered them, “I performed one work, and all of you are astonished.22Moses gave you circumcision (it is, of course, not from Moses, but from the patriarchs), and you circumcise a man on the sabbath.23If a man receives circumcision on the sabbath in order that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I healed a man’s whole body on the
sabbath?24Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Is This the Christ?

25 Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill?26And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah?27Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”28Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you
do not know him.29I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”30Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come.31Yet many in the crowd believed in him and were saying, “When the Messiah comes, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

Officers Are Sent to Arrest Jesus

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering such things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent temple police to arrest him.33Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little while longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.34You will search for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”35The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the
Greeks?36What does he mean by saying, ‘You will search for me and you will not find me’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

Rivers of Living Water

37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me,38and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ”39Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Division among the People

40 When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.”41Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some asked, “Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he?42Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”43So there was a division in the crowd because of him.44Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

The Unbelief of Those in Authority

45 Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?”46The police answered, “Never has anyone spoken like this!”47Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived too, have you?48Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him?49But this crowd, which does not know the law—they are accursed.”50Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked,51“Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?”52They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.”

The Woman Caught in Adultery

53Then each of them went home,

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.

50.Nicodemus said to them. The Evangelist describes Nicodemus as a neutral man, who does not venture to undertake in good earnest the defense of sound doctrine, and yet cannot endure to have the truth oppressed.

He who came to Jesus by night. This circumstance is mentioned by the Evangelist, partly to the praise, and partly to the disgrace, of Nicodemus. If he had not loved the doctrine of Christ, he would never have dared to
meet the rage of wicked men; for he knew that, if any of them but opened his mouth, he would be immediately exposed to dislike and to danger. When, therefore, he ventures to throw out one word, however feeble it may be, some small spark of godliness shines from his heart; but in not defending Christ openly, he manifests excessive timidity. Thus the Evangelist means that he has still a hankering after the concealment of the night, and is not a true disciple of Christ. He says that he once
came to Jesus by night, but remained openly among his enemies, and kept his place in their camp.

This ought to be the more carefully observed, because there are many in the present day who plead that they resemble Nicodemus, and hope that, by assuming this mask, they will mock God with impunity. Granting what they ask, that there is no difference between them and Nicodemus, what assistance, pray, do they derive from such an example? Nicodemus says
that Christ ought not to be condemned until he be heard; and the same thing might be said of a robber or an assassin; for it is a well-known and proverbial sentiment, that it is better to acquit the innocent than to condemn the guilty. Besides, in his attempts to release the person of Christ, he leaves and abandons the doctrine. What shall we find here
that is worthy of a believer or a Christian?
204204 “D’un homme fidele et Chrestien.”
Thus the seed of the gospel, which afterwards bore fruit, was still concealed and choked in him. We shall apply this example far more profitably to another purpose, that the Lord frequently causes the doctrine, which seemed to have perished, gradually to take a concealed root, and, after a long period, to put forth some bud, first like an untimely plant, afterwards lively and vigorous; just as the faith of Nicodemus acquired new and sudden vigor from the death of
Christ.